Mixed Fresh Fruits and Greek Yogurt Parfait

The weather's been too warm these past few days which makes me too lazy to cook.  Cooking means having to open all the windows and doors to let out the heat but it also means that I have to turn off the air conditioner.  Too much hassle so I tend to avoid cooking during the day when it tends to be the hottest and reserve cooking at night when the temperature is a little cooler.  Or, opt to make dishes that does not require any cooking and minimal preparation.  This dish is one such dish as it uses fresh fruits and yogurt so no cooking is needed.

I used several fruits and berries that are in season so they can be easily substituted when the season changes.  In this particular parfait, I used blackberries, raspberries, granny smith apple, and fresh turkey figs.  Instead of regular yogurt, I used Greek yogurt which is a lot thicker in consistency.  I also topped the parfait with dehydrated lentil flakes which I purchased from Dragunara at the farmer's market in Fairfax and Third.  The dehydrated lentils provided some crunch to the parfait but it can be easily substituted with granola, if you prefer. If you prefer the parfait to be sweet, you can add a little bit of honey or sugar.

The fresh turkey figs that I used in this dish came from Costco.  At $5.99 per tray of about 18 or more figs, it was a huge bargain compared to the one sold at WholeFoods.  Figs are are just plain ugly on the outside but the insides are so pretty when you slice it.  It has this pinkish and while color which is so attractive when you add to salads or as garnish. And don't even get me started on the taste as they are very tasty and delicious when they ripen. I usually do not peel it but I do wash it really well to remove the fuzzy exterior before slicing or eating it on its own.

Speaking of Dragunara, it is a gem of a spice store located within the farmer's market at Fairfax and Third in Los Angeles.  My friend and I found this little spice haven by accident when we took a different route than we normally take to get to La Surla Table.  Ahh...so happy that we found this place because they sell a lot of spices that are not normally found in regular stores or even WholeFoods, such as dried lavender flowers, dried hibiscus flowers, Szechuan peppercorns, all colors of lentils, different types of salts, etc.  I came out of the store bearing a huge shopping bag full of different spices...ahhh, the place is like an oasis for cooks and food fanatics...

Ingredients:

Brown turkey figs

blackberries

raspberries

granny smith apple or any apple you prefer

2 Tbsp of dehydrated lentil flakes or granola

Greek yogurt

honey, optional

1. Wash, dry and slice fruits.

2. Place a layer Greek yogurt in a container

3. Top with fresh fruit slices.

4. Sprinkle dehydrated lentil flakes or granola on top.

5. Sweeten with honey, if you prefer.

NOTE:  There is really no exact measurements in this dish so you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.

Mango Parfait

Summer!  The only thing I like about it is that it brings with it all the wonderful fruits that I like.  One of those fruits is mango... something that is abundant in the Philippines.  Growing up, I do not remember doing much with mangoes in terms of using it in dishes.  My mom would occasionally use it as an ingredient for agogo ... hehehe not a-gogo dancers but a homemade frozen snack wrapped in a small plastic container made up of milk, fruits, sugar, and water.


... back to mangoes, we usually just eat it raw, either ripe or unripe.  For ripe ones, we just peel and eat.  Of course, you have to discard the pit...hehehe.  For unripe mangoes, we peel it then eat it with salt and soy sauce or with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste)...so delish,

Living in Southern California, I am thankful that we get a lot of tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, buko (young coconut fruit),  and rambutan (occasionally)....even at the regular grocery stores, if you're lucky.



Making this dish is quite simple since the only hard part is peeling, slicing, and throwing the mango flesh into the blender to puree it.  The rest is just layering the other ingredients.  Depending on how sweet the mango is, you can opt to add sugar or not.  I didn't add any on mine since it is sweet enough.  I also puree the fruit since it was ripe and soft without adding any water.  The result is thick and concentrated just like I wanted.

Both the yogurt and granola were bought from WholeFoods the other day.  For yogurt, you can use anything that you prefer- part skim, low fat, non-fat, regular- just make sure that it is plain (or, at least I prefer it that way) to prevent it from competing with the flavor of the mango.



This recipe is great for breakfast and can even be prepared in advance for those mornings when you are in a rush to leave the house.  You can prepare the dish in an airtight container that's easy to transport by placing a layer of mango puree at the bottom then top with a layer of yogurt.  I'd leave adding the granola until the following day though since I am not sure how it will taste after it has been in the refrigerator overnight.  I prefer mine crunchy, not soggy.



This can be a cheaper and healthier alternative to those parfaits sold at places like Starbuck's which you may not think cost that much but the amount can add up if you buy the thing (like I used to) often enough.  Of course, I used to get not only the parfait but also a cup of coffee and bottle of Odwalla juice so I'd spend around $12- $14 easily in the morning.  That adds up to a significant amount in a year.  Money that you can use for more important stuff...like, say a new ice cream maker....opps, was I thinking loudly?  hehehe.  But seriously,for $12- $14 I can already make several servings of this parfait. The other good thing it that you can substitute mango for any fruit or berry that you prefer.



Ingredients:

Mango, peeled and pitted

Plain yogurt

granola

sugar, as needed

1. Place mango slices in a blender and puree.  Add sugar depending on your desired sweetness.

2. In a tall glass, place 3-4 spoonful of pureed mango, then top with a layer of  yogurt and top with granola.